Mammillaria haageana (elegans)  (North San Luis Potosi)
Rarely clusters and sometime divides dichotomously to form a clump of heads with age. It has close spination and white bristles in the axils

Description: Solitary, seldom branching cactus
Stem: Globose, , 5 - 8 cm in diameter, slightly depressed at the apex with little wool. Abundant wool in the young axils. Don’t contains latex.
Radial spines: 16 - 18, white, slender, needle-like, interlacing somewhat curved, longer at the sides, 1 - 5 mm long.
Central spines: 2, often only 1, stout needle-like to awl-shaped, straight or a little bent, grey-brown, darker at the tip, 5 - 8 mm long.
Flowers: Bright rose-red with darker midstripe, 15 - 20 mm long.

Cultivation: Water sparingly, needs good drainage, Hardy to -4° C (if dry).

Taxonomy: Mammillaria elegans A.P. de Candolle 1828. is a 'nomen confusum' and referes bolth to M. geminispina with latex in the stem (Subgenus Mammillaria section Hydrochylus series supertextae) and to M. haageana, without latex in the stem ( Subgenus Mammillaria, section Galactophylous, series Leucocephale )

Scientific name:  Mammillaria haageana ssp elegans  D. R. Hunt 1997

Origin & Habitat:  San Louis Potosi and Puebla, Mexico. Altitude about 2.300 m in open grassy areas.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:  

• Mammillaria haageana Pfeiffer 1836
• Mammillaria elegans A.P. de Candolle 1828 (misapplied)
• M. elegans var longicaudata
• M. elegans var lupina
• M. collina
• M. donatii
• M. dyckiana
• M. kunthii

Mammaillaria haageana ssp. elegans
(SB682 Alseseca, Puebla, Mexico)
A form with ( ± long) axillary  bristles.